MODEL MAGIC

If you feel intimidated by 3D computer modeling, you’ll be pleased to find Google SketchUp. Now in release 7.0, Sketchup is extraordinarily simple to use and free for personal use.

Some 3D software – even the free versions – can take so long to learn that it’s not worth the hassle. True to Google’s tag line, SketchUp is “3D for everyone” and can be downloaded for free. SketchUp was developed by @Last Software, Inc. in the early 2000s and acquired by Google in 2006. Current versions support Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X. A Linux version is not available, but some Linux users have succeeded with running SketchUp on Wine.

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